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Metro Vancouver Area Councillors Urge More B.C. Oversight of Municipal Spending

On May 20, 2025, four local councillors from the Metro Vancouver region initiated a petition calling on the British Columbia government to strengthen oversight of municipal expenditures amid an ongoing police probe.
This petition followed reports revealing Richmond spent over $400,000 on gift cards from 2015 to 2018 with $295,000 unreconciled, prompting a forensic audit motion by Councillor Kash Heed.
The audit aims to cover the past decade to investigate unresolved discrepancies tied to city gift card use, which could stem from poor management or possible fraud.
Heed described the issue as a "real concern" requiring due diligence, while councillors unanimously supported the motion and seek a report before bringing it to city council.
The councillors argue the situation reveals broader systemic problems caused by limited municipal financial oversight since 2019, urging reinstatement of the Municipal Auditor General or expanded provincial mandate.

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Global News

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Forensic audit into City of Richmond gift card spending expanded to last decade - BC

"It's on everyone's mind in the city, it doesn't matter if you go to McDonald's or you go shopping," one Richmond city counicllor said of the scandal.

3 days ago·Toronto, Canada

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Coast Reporter

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Richmond councillor wants gift card audit to go back a decade

Richmond BC city councillor Kash Heed wants to expand a forensic audit looking at gift card purchases to cover a decade. "Do we have a larger problem?"

3 days ago·Sechelt, Canada

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castanet.net

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Metro Vancouver area councillors urge more B.C. oversight of municipal spending

Four Metro Vancouver area councillors have launched a petition asking the British Columbia government for closer oversight of municipal spending in the province, amid a police investigation into alleged misuse of a city hall gift card program. Richmond's Kash Heed, Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas fr...

3 days ago·Kelowna, Canada

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CBC News

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Metro Vancouver area councillors urge more provincial oversight of municipal spending

Richmond's Kash Heed, New Westminster's Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas, and Burnaby's Richard Lee say in an open letter to Premier David Eby that the province needs to either reinstate a specific office to oversee municipal spending or expand the auditor general's mandate to cover it.

3 days ago·Canada

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The Globe & Mail

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Four Metro Vancouver area councillors urge more B.C. oversight of municipal spending

The petition comes amid a police investigation into alleged misuse of a city hall gift card program

4 days ago·Canada

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Energetic City

Metro Vancouver area councillors urge more B.C. oversight of municipal spending – Energeticcity.ca

VICTORIA — Four Metro Vancouver area councillors have launched a petition asking the British Columbia government for closer oversight of municipal spending in the province, amid a police investigation into alleged misuse of a city hall gift card program. Richmond’s Kash Heed, Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas from New Westminster and Burnaby’s Richard Lee say in an open letter to Premier David Eby that the province needs to either reinstate a spec…

4 days ago

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